MEDIA RELEASE 23 June 2007
Baby boomers demanding anti-ageing medicine
The baby boomer generation is behind a growing trend towards an emerging field
of medicine known as anti-ageing medicine.
According to Dr Michael Zacharia, President of the AustralAsian Academy of
Anti-Ageing Medicine (A5M), baby boomers want to feel and look good for longer.
The new catchcry is '50 is the new 30'.
"Anti-ageing medicine is preventative and aimed at slowing pathological ageing
so people will live longer without disease. It is not about just living longer,
it's about the opportunity to live a full, happy and healthy life," Dr Zacharia
said.
"In anti-ageing medicine there are five key areas – diet, exercise, relaxation,
supplements and medications like hormones. Cosmetic surgery also plays a role
because when people feel younger, they want to look younger as well.
"Anti-ageing medicine covers many areas of medicine and healthcare and can be
practiced by GPs, cosmetic surgeons, natural health therapists, fitness
instructors, osteopaths and many more," he added.
Anti-ageing medicine first emerged in the United States about 15 years ago. It
is an extension of preventive health care based on the early detection,
prevention, and reversal of age-related diseases.
Research has shown that 90% of all adult illness is due to the degenerative
processes of ageing. This includes heart disease, most cancers, adult-onset
diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, autoimmune
disease, glaucoma, and Alzheimer's disease.
Ageing consists of depletion, inflammation and wear and tear. For some people
this happens faster than others. This accelerated process of ageing will impact
on quality and quantity of life.
Anti-ageing medicine incorporates the latest medical advances to deter the
ageing process, which is largely influenced by lifestyle and cure degenerative
diseases at its root, resulting in longer life expectancy.
"Of course anti-ageing medicine is not a panacea for all illness because about
30 per cent is determined by your genes. Anti-ageing medicine works on the 70
per cent that can be influenced," said Dr Zacharia.
"Today's medical science is catching up with the ageing models. We now have the
ability to test for genetic inheritance and also to check on how the genes are
being expressed ahead of the full manifestation of a disease. This gives us the
ability to intervene early, rather than wait until cancer, Alzheimer's, heart
disease or another major illness occurs.
"A5M has been formed for the advancement of technology to detect, prevent, and
treat ageing-related disease and to promote research into methods to retard and
optimise the human ageing process.
"Diet, exercise and stress reduction are 'anti-ageing' by virtue of their
ability to increase well-being and lifespan. Current research on anti-oxidant
supplementation and hormone replacement therapy is gathering evidence of
'anti-ageing' activity through their ability to prevent and reverse cellular
degeneration associated with ageing.
"To date the most potent weapons against ageing are a group of hormones that
naturally diminish with age. When replaced at youthful levels, they can have a
powerful rejuvenating effect on all the cells of the body," said Dr Zacharia.
Medical and health practitioners will learn about the latest developments in the
field of anti-ageing at Australia's first conference in Anti-Ageing and
Aesthetic Medicine to be held on 20-21 October 2007 at the Sofitel Hotel,
Melbourne.
There are a number of major anti-ageing medicine conferences around the world
that are attended by many thousand doctors and health care professionals.
The Anti-Ageing and Aesthetic Medicine Conference, organised by the A5M, will
feature international and local pioneers of anti-ageing medicine including Dr
Robert Goldman, founder of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) and
National Academy of Sports Medicine.
The conference will embrace the whole growing area of anti-ageing with topics
such as building a sustainable anti-ageing and preventative medicine practice,
genetics, hormones, hair loss & restoration, diet & exercise physiology, pain
management, obesity, cosmetic procedures including non-surgical body sculpting
and fillers & injectables, cognitive function & depression and others.
For more information on the conference and to register or to become a member of
A5M, please visit www.a5m.net or call 03 9826 6480.
Released for AustralAsian Academy of Anti-Ageing Medicine by Dennis Rutzou
Public Relations (www.drpr.com.au)
For further information please call Kim Larochelle or Nicola Rutzou on (02) 9413
4244.
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